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Apps
These are the apps I found useful. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...e72b0022b.jpeg Navigator GPS. Maps can be downloaded for offline use. Turn by turn directions for car or pedestrian use. https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...0ef09bde5.jpeg GPS Waypoint Navigator for off-road use. Good for tracking walks in back country. Vector or topographic maps can be downloaded for offline use. Paid $. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...d5d13b692.jpeg CP is the official app for trains in Portugal. Very useful if traveling by train. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...6caab0d75.jpeg myRNE is the official app for the Rede Expressos buses. Good for intercity buses. https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...75673b3bf.jpeg Carris official app of the buses in Lisbon. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...4f8934710.jpeg Vamus Algarve official app of intercity buses in the Algarve. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...037b44eab.jpeg taxi-link useful for estimating taxi fares in available cities https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...37914c061.jpeg Weather Network app for weather predictions, fairly accurate https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...1a6f1ad13.jpeg Translate app, languages can be downloaded for offline use. Real time photo text translation requires data. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f989153a4.jpeg My Vodafone app keeps track of the data and minutes on my phone plan https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f89d3f360.jpeg WhatsApp use for messages, voice calls and video calls. Requires data |
Criminal activity
A friend called me to let me know that his girlfriend's car was broken in and items stolen, overnight in Lisbon. It is a company car and the items stolen also belong to the company but still very upsetting. The thieves smashed the rear window. DON'T LEAVE ANY ITEMS IN THE CAR. I have had my wallet stolen by pickpockets on 2 separate occasions in Lisbon, ( not on this trip -so far, hopefully it won't happen again). Tip: don't have any valuables visible. Keep your money separate from your ID. Keep ID in hotel/rental safe and carry a certified copy of your ID. Have a "sacrifice" wallet with a few €€ . The emergency number in Portugal is 112. The most visible police forces are: PSP (polícia segurança pública), they have dark blue, almost black, uniforms. GNR (guarda nacional republicana) their colors are green, grey and black. Some large cities (Lisbon) have their own municipal police. Some security companies uniforms look like police but it easy to differentiate - they don't carry guns. |
Supermarkets
There are 3 basic ways to buy groceries in Portugal, local markets, small grocery store and supermarkets. Continente and Auchan are the largest supermarkets with largest selection and some other products such electronics, clothing, etc. MiniPreco, Lidl, Pingo Doce, Intermarche, are smaller supermarkets with smaller selection and just groceries. The prices tend to be similar between supermarkets but selection is the big difference. Groceries prices are somewhat lower but not by much once exchange rates are taken into account. The biggest difference in prices in the supermarkets between Portugal and North America is the price of local wine, which is much lower in Portugal. |
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Continente supermarket https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...31e13cf36e.jpg Auchan supermarket https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...c934d8e97a.jpg Auchan supermarket shellfish https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...1fb8389473.jpg Auchan supermarket fish counter https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...cc6b0a8567.jpg Auchan supermarket local wine section https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...bbdf1a64db.jpg Auchan supermarket lowest priced wine we could find. €1.29 that's less $2 dollars per bottle. Wine is literally cheaper than water. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...ecafc507c6.jpg Auchan supermarket juice boxes for adults 🙂. https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...b6fd4876eb.jpg The supermarket also sold "experiences" restaurant meals , hotels , vineyard visits with wine tasting. Didn't use it but I think it works by buying it at the supermarket and then booking online. |
Sidewalks, Hills and Stairs
Portugal is the country of a thousand hills and the stairs that accompany those hills. If you’re walking in Lisbon, Porto and most of Portugal be prepared for a leg workout, you’ll have the calves of an athlete by the time you’re done. No need to join the gym, Stairmaster is free- just walk outside. Did I mention there are stairs. Sidewalks in Portugal range from beautiful works of art to safety hazards. Most sidewalks are made of small square stones that become polished with wear and VERY slippery when wet. Any natural stone sidewalk is a problem when wet – marble is the worst – almost every day that rained I witnessed people falling, spraining their knees, ankles and wrists as they braced for the fall. Some sidewalk stones are uneven due to tree roots and ground shift. Some sidewalks became smaller and simply disappeared. But the majority of the sidewalks were crammed with cars forcing pedestrians to use the roadway. For anyone with mobility issues, using a cane , walker, baby stroller or just wanting to safely walk on the side walk these are real concerns. Tip: use Google Maps Streetview to look at the area you intend to walk ( around your hotel / rental ,attractions etc. This will help you find flatter areas with (hopefully) unobstructed sidewalks. |
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Stairs https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...9be95e3e93.jpg More stairs https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...763ecf065d.jpg Did I mention "there will be stairs". https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...2066e50962.jpg The steepness on this street is not readily apparent, take a look at the "stepped" fence wall, it gives an indication of how steep it really is. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...e55af66a73.jpg Beautiful sidewalk art. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...8d5bf2621c.jpg Sidewalk art https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f5726284ac.jpg Sidewalk trees https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...769b79b52c.jpg Apparently in Portugal roads are for cars and sidewalks are also for cars https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...bd240f5f75.jpg The disappearing sidewalk, onto the road we go. |
Loving your posts, so very practical and helpful. Thank you!!
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Seamus
Thanks, I appreciate the compliment. |
Oeiras Parque dos Poetas - Poets Park.
This is one of my favorite urban parks. The theme of the park is poets and poetry and it's beautifuly done. When I visit it has always been a very calm and serene experience. Poems are written on the ground in leaf shaped stone border. Using Google translate one can read the poems and have some philosophical pondering. Some of the statues are life like and some are abstract. There are water features that produce a mist that give the garden a dream like quality, unfortunately I have seen only twice previously and not this time. https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...d1eb7fb1ac.jpg Oeiras Parque dos Poetas lifelike statue https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...d9da1de2e7.jpg The muses in one's mind. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...29164caa16.jpg This poet had a very strong connection to the sea, the waves on the pedestal represent that connection. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f4713eb99.jpeg Pondering life's questions https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...8ff6a98fc3.jpg Did not understand this one. She's pointing at a bird on the wall. Is the bird a dove? Is she the dove? Is the man behind her the brute? Is he denying her freedom or blinding her from the truth? Do they represent people or concepts like liberty and oppression? So many questions. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...40f19fb321.jpg Stone features. The metal grates is where the water mist emanates giving it a surreal, dream like appearance https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...d868111ad8.jpg Main boulevard in the park https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...7b24b9c463.jpg Poets Obelisk https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...afa5d7e698.jpg Poets Obelisk and art gallery in background. There is a rooftop restaurant in the gallery but it was closed https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...84f96758b8.jpg Gazebo café https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...a7f7fc08d7.jpg View from the park towards the ocean https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...dceab4de1c.jpg Poets piramid, there's a garden maze to enter the piramid. A storm rolled in and we got drenched https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...ec9134e639.jpg Poem leaf on the ground |
Oeiras Parque dos Poetas continuation
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...0c7b8ab9b3.jpg In the poets park everyone and everything seems to be inspired, this millipede seems to be asking the eternal question:why? https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...5f34f96b3c.jpg Wonder what a gathering of poets is called https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...650527b1df.jpg Palms at the park https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...61b51d820a.jpg The inside of a palm Passeio Marítimo Oeiras has a seaside walk that follows the countour of the coastline for about 5 km. It's very nice to walk along it. At one end is Paço de Arcos (town) at the other end is Praia da Torre (beach) and Forte São Julião (very old fort ). Along the way there's access to the beaches, cafes, restaurants, marina, a motel, and municipal swimming pools. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...7f0fb6f006.jpg Oeiras Passeio Marítimo https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...6cddb1b9d6.jpg Oeiras Passeio Marítimo We stopped at the local church and at a wine store that sells Carcavelos wine, dessert wine. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...7cb7945053.jpg Oeiras church https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...b1e9809d17.jpg Oeiras church interior https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...68876dbe7c.jpg Oeiras church ceiling https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...733a237c88.jpg Carcavelos wine store |
The Lisbon to Cascais area is our favorite, except in the winter.
There are little sandy beaches and rocky outcrops with marine life to see at low tide. Different types of restaurants, cafes, hotels, museums, monuments, cultural events are all whitin easy reach on the public transport. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...3b7d22f87c.jpg Parede beach https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...4783358e2a.jpg Parede rock beach section https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...82137f8c0d.jpg Cactus and cactus "tree" at São Pedro beach https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...1d6596d0f0.jpg Cactus trees https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...b217fe5554.jpg São Pedro beach https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...7fb006caf0.jpg This spotlight is from the second world war era. The spotlight was used to light up the ships coming into the Lisbon harbor, cannons on the hill would fire on the ships. This was part the coastal defence of Portugal. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...396c3a0846.jpg Close up of the spotlight https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...81a43ffb72.jpg São Pedro beach, the dark area in the water is seaweed https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...01a699a4fb.jpg São Pedro beach rocky section https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...836202bbc6.jpg São Pedro beach rocky section |
In Parede we found a traditional tile clad home alongside a more artistic pebble decorated home.
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...5048880383.jpg Pebble decorated home detail https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...cf83de3c19.jpg Traditional tile clad home https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...39535fd662.jpg Interesting pebble decorated home https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...093bc86a23.jpg Pebble decorated home https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...aa3298f72a.jpg Compare with modernist square, flat design |
The sunrises and sunsets in the Algarve have often been very colorful.
Sunrise colors this morning https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...e294a3621b.jpg Sunrise at stone pier https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...9b3a3d9ba6.jpg https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...fcfa642640.jpg |
Thank you for this fact filled report with so many helpful suggestions.
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Thanks Happytrvlr I appreciate the compliment.
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Heads up for anyone traveling with small children or pets that like to touch everything, watch out for very sharp spiny cactus and the castor bean plant, both grow wild in Portugal.
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...66fe1ac963.jpg Cactus on walkway by the beach, very sharp needles https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...afb8af81b2.jpg Castor bean plant by the sidewalk https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...4ad0db5b8b.jpg Castor bean pod, it becomes red as it ripens. The castor bean contains Ricin - a lethal toxin. |
The cold and dampness.
Building construction in Portugal is mostly geared towards the hot summer weather, done with cement (walls, floors, ceilings) and no insulation. In winter buildings became cold and damp ( worse in the north less so in the south). All the hotels we have used so far had heating. The rental has a small oil heater and no dehumidifier. Tip : ask your rental if they have heat or/ dehumidifier https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...b9654c0c11.jpg Small oil heater Tip: if your rental doesn't have heat/dehumidifier, keep clothing in enclosed storage ( closet with wood doors or your luggage) to protect from the dampness. Clothes left out will have a damp feeling. |
Laundry
Most rentals only have washers and no dryers. We have used self service laundry facilities in town, that are used by the locals. They have washers and dryers of different sizes to accommodate different wheight loads. The payment is made to a pay terminal similar to a an ATM. Each machine is payed separately and the price depends on the settings chosen ( length of time for washer and dryer). Settings for type of clothing (ex: cotton), cycle (delicate) and dryer temperature are also available. Detergent and softener are included and added automatically, no need to add anything. The pay terminal has multiple languages, choose your language, the machine, the settings, pay, after paying go the machine you have chosen and the press the start button - all the machines we used have digital displays. We average €10 per wash. https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...9630606dbf.jpg Diferente wheight load washers, 9 kg and 15 kg https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...37175a285a.jpg Laundry payment machine https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...06a1a66430.jpg Laundry payment machine display with multiple languages available. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...14d8b4e793.png Detergent and softener included https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...92c16e7556.jpg Full service laundry are also available in some locations |
Pharmacies
Pharmacies are identified by a green cross. Bigger towns that have multiple pharmacies will have one that is open 24hours ( on a rotation amongst the available pharmacies). The closed pharmacies will have the name of the 24hour pharmacy or a phone number to call for info on the open pharmacy. In Braga we called the pharmacy info number, the info person spoke English. https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...0cd7492a95.jpg Green cross at pharmacy |
Sesimbra and the castle.
We took an evening trip to Sesimbra, a seaside town south of Lisbon. It's a relatively small town set on the ocean front hills of Serra da Arrábida. It has a beach on the flat portion of town and the Arrábida mountain on the hillside. Sesimbra has a long fishing history and the local restaurants have great grilled fish. A word about castles in Portugal. Castles were strictly military installations with stone outer walls, inside stone tower and wooden structures for the knights/soldiers. Castles are not to be confused with walled cities or palaces. Some castles have their stone structures preserved/restored in their entirety or just a portion, sometimes just a very small portion of an exterior wall. I write this explanation because I heard other tourists complain that the castles didn't compare to the grandeur of movie castles or palaces. https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...b3b9920544.jpg Sesimbra castle https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...d049621d39.jpg West view of Sesimbra from the castle https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f621127a77.jpg East view of Sesimbra from the castle https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...dc0342c9fb.jpg Church inside castle https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...ed1a87b3a3.jpg Inside church https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...fb3eb2cc93.jpg Church tile interior https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...653b5aff9d.jpg Sesimbra street https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...481de0e65d.jpg Sesimbra waterfront https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...52204be4e4.jpg https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...7552df238f.jpg Small restaurant that serves great fresh grilled fish. Everyone sits side by side and respectful of each other. |
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